Odometer drive



Aug; 16, 1932.

R. H. JAMES ODOMETER DRIVE Filed Jan. 19, 1929 WK J2;

4 Sheets-Sheet l AT RNEY5.

Aug. 16, 1932. R.'H. JAMES I 1,372,039

ODOMETER DRIVE 1 Filed Jan. 19. 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 56 INVENTOR Amwwo /7. JAMES 57 ATTORNEYS v Aug. 16, 1932.

R. H. JAMES obommnn DRIVE Filed Jail. 19. 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 K\ A qm I Ii 7 1 T u INN I: 8 fwiq, .51... ..w W N\,. :11 Fla J 3 we m M R w m W Patented Aug. 16, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE RICHARD H. JAMES, OF EAST HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO VEEDER-ROOT INCORPOBATED,,OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT ODOIETEB DRIVE Application filed January 19, 1929. Serial. No. 333,584.

This invention relates to driving connections for odometers and is more especially applicable for use on railway cars in which the axle rotates.

, H. Veeder.

The invention is an improvement over the construction shown in U. S. Patent No. 1,088,853, March 3, 1914, granted to Curtis As pointed out in said patent there are certain conditions arising in connection with the driving of odometers attached to railway cars because of the comparatively great relative movement, both axially and otherwise, between the journal box and the axle. It is therefore necessary that any driving connection between the axle and the odometer shall be constructed with a view to operating under these conditions.

The present invention aims to provide a driving connection which shall be reliable in its operation at all times yet permit relative movement between such driving means and the axle.

In the form of device shown in saidpatent the odometer and its immediate operating parts are carried by the journal box cover and when the cover is closed a spindle connected with theodometer operating parts is made to engage a countersunk portion of the axle. The spindle and axle are maintained in engagement by a spring so that substantially no relative axial movement between the spindle and axle is permitted.

The present invention is an improvement over the patented construction in this respect in that considerable axial movement between the axle and odometer driving part may be permitted without any disengagement between the two.

A further feature of the invention is the automatic re-establishing of the connection between the odometer operating means and the axle, upon closing of the journal box cover.

Various other details and advantages will appear hereinafter on reference to the detailed description and claims when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a section through the journal box and odometer casing, on line l1 of Figure 14, showing one manner in which the improvements are applied.

igure 2 is a section on line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a section on line 33 of Figure 14;

Figure 4 is a detail of the arm connected with the odometer shaft;

Figure 5 is a section on line 55 of Figure 1;

Figure 6 is a section through the journal box and casing, of a somewhat dilferent mode of carrying the invention into practice;

Figure 7 is a detail View of one end of the driving connection;

Figure 8 is a section on line 8--8 of Figure 6;

Figure 9 is a section through the journal box and odometer casing showing a still further modification of the manner in which the invention ma be put into practice;

Figure 10 is a etail in plan of the connection between the shaft and the odometer;

Figure 11 is a section on line 1111 of' Figure 9;

Figure 12 is a section on line 1212 of Figure'9;

Figure 13 is a section on line 13-13 of Figure 9;

Figure 14 is a front view of the odometer casing shown in Figure 1;

Figure 15 is a section through the odometer casing showing a modified form of driving connection to the odometer; and

Figure 16 is a detail of this connection.

Referring to the drawings, a portion of one end of the axle 1 is shown in Figure 1, this axle being supported in a journal box indicated by the numeral 2. The connection from 1 and 2. The driving connection between the axle and the odometer in this construction the odometer housing whereby it is races 15, 16 and 18, 19 a number of consists of a rigid drivin member 6 having an enlarged head 7 w 'ch conforms in shape to the opening in the ring 3. v

The edges of the head are slightly rounded to emit of the necessary pla between it and the ring. The opposite en of the driving member or connection is formed with a head 8 also non-circular in cross section, which engages a member to be later described, havmg connections leading to the shaft of the o ometer.

The axle housing or journal box 2 is provided with a hinged cover 9, Figures 1 and 14, movable about a pivot rod 10 and urged to closed position by a spring 11 riveted at 12 to the cover, Figure 1.

The odometer is supported on the cover by means of a se arate housing 13 secured by bolts 14 as indicated in Figures 1 and 14. Immediately within the outer wall of the odometer housing there is provided an outer ball race 15 and an inner ball race 16, the latter carried by a sleeve 17 with which the head 8 of the drlver 6 engages. The sleeve is in the form of a cylinder and is of suflicient length to permit considerable longitudinal movement of the head 8 within the cylinder bore without any possibility of disengagement. The sleeve" 17 also carries an inner ball race 18 and there is also an outer ball race 19 carried by a retaining rin 20 having a flange which is engaged by a s oulder on held firmly against a flat face of the cover plate 9 as indicated in Figure 1. Between the ball antifriction balls are provided, as is usual. The shape of the ball races is such as to prevent an longitudinal movement of the sleeve 17. between the ball races 16 and 18 there is provided a driving gear 21 keyed to the sleeve at 22 as shown in igure 1 and also in the sectional view, Figure 5. This gear 21 meshes with a gear 23, Figure 3 secured to a sleeve 24, which sleeve is rotatable on a stud shaft 25 extending through the cover 9. The gear 23 has a hole transversely through it at 26, with which engages a pin 27 of the odometer operating arm 28, secured to the odometer shaft.

A felt ring 30 surrounding the sleeve 17 serves to retain lubricant supplied to the odometer casing and to prevent dirt from getting to the odometer parts from the journal box. There is also a plate 31 fitting over the end of the sleeve to prevent grease and dirt from entering the odometer casing through the sleeve 17.

With the construction just described it will be noted that the drivingconnection 6 is so connected to the axle 1 that movement in any direction-is permitted between said member and the axle, while at the same time a driving connection between them is always maintained and a connection is also maintained between the axle and the odometer when the cover 9 is closed. When the cover 9 is open amounts to the same thing, by the. distance between the end of the axle and the inner faceof the late 4. When the cover 9 is again closed t e member 6 must be lifted to' approximately the proper position but to more readily enable the head to be guided into the sleeve opening the right end of the sleeve is beveled at 32.

The cover is held down not only by the spring 11but may be secured in closed positlon-through the medium of slotted ears 33 and thumb nuts 34, as indicated in Figure 14.

In the construction of Figures 1 and 3 the odometer is driven through the medium of gears 21 and 23 but a more direct drive is illustrated in Fi ures 15 and 16. In this construction the ometer is co-axial with the sleeve 17 and the driving arm 28 extends within the sleeve and engages a vcut-out portion thereof as shown in Figure 16. In other respects the construction of Figure 15 is the same as that described in reference to Figures 1 and 2.

Referring now to the construction shown in Figure 6, the axle 1 is supported in the journal box 2 having a cover 9 as in the first described form. The connection between the odometer operating parts and theaxle is efiected by means of a driving connection 6 but this is somewhat differently arranged from the connection shown in Figure 1. In this construction the axle has a hole broached therein of non-circular form and the head 7 of the shaft 6 is similarly shaped in cross section, the length of the bore longitudinally being such as to permit considerable longitudinal movement between the shaft and the member 6 without disenga ement.-

The journal box cover 9 is hinge as usual to the journal box; in this instance bolts 51 are provided through the eyes of which the shaft or pivot 10 extends, the bolts being held in position by lock nuts 52, as shown in Fi ure 6. The cover 9 is likewise provided wit ;}housing 53 which carries an outer ball race The driving end of the member 6, Figure 7, is forked and supports a shaft 55 carrying a member 56 provided with trunnions 57. These trunnions are supported in a two-piece member 58 held together by bolts 59. The member 58 carries an inner ball race 60 embracing a series of anti-friction balls as shown. 61 is a plate across the opening in the housing 53, which has an opening of such diameter that when the driving member 6 is unsupported by its engagement with the axle the edge of the opening will limit the downward movement of the member 6 so that when the cover 9 is again closed the member 6 will Ill Ill

newness to do by mason of the beveled edge of the' opening in the shaft as shown at 62. The

'recessedto head 7 of the member 6 is beveled as shown at so as to enable this engagement to be accomplished more readily.

Driving connection from the member 6 to the odometer is brought about through a pinion 66, the hub 63 of which is secured by a pin 64 to a stud projection at the right hand part of the twoleee member 58. The pinion 66 engages wit avgear 67 carried on the odometer shaft.

With the construction above described the odometer is automatically put into driving relation with the axle upon closure of the journal box. The head 7 of the member 6 is rounded asshown, so as to permit relative movement between this member and the axle. The connection with the two-piece member 58 constitutes a universal joint between the member 6 and the odometer operatin means,

The Figure 9 construction ifiers somewhat from the other two in some of its details, although the neral principle of operation is substanti y the same. Here again the odometer is carried by the cover plate 9 of the journal 'box 2 and like the Figure 6 construction, the axle 1 is recessed. The axle, however, does not directly engage the journal box but a sleeve 7 5 surrounds the axle and between it and the journal box anti-friction rollers 76 are introduced. The sleeve is held in position b a rin 77. The recess in the sha instead of being of non-circular shape in cross section as in the Figure 6 construction, necessitating broachin of the bone, is made circular so that it can 'lled, and tightly fitting within the bore is a sleeve 78 having oppositely disposed slots 7 9.which'loosely engage the part 80 of the driving connection between the axle and the odometer. As shown more clearly in Figure 10 the part 80 is pivoted to a forked head 81 of a member 82 to which is pinned a driving arm 83 for engagement with a similar arm 84 connected to the odometer, as in the other constructions.

In order to lubricate the parts directly associated with the odometer drive, a bearing block 85 is provided, said block being suitably rovide for the introduction of a wick 86 w ich dips down into a chamber 87 to which oil may be supplied thro h an opening closed by a screw plug 88. Th ifiiearing block is rovided with an oil duct 89 whereby oil i'i'om the wick is supplied to the member 82. Any excess oil in the operet ing parts is led back to the chamber 87 through the duct 90.

What is claimed as new is:

1. In combination a rotatable axle, a journal box supporting the same, a cover for the journal box, an odometer and operating means therefor carried by the cover, a drivin connection between the operating means an the axle, said driving connection having a part non-circular in cross section a non-circular part in the axle fitting said part, said bore having its outer edge provided with a cam surface whereby upon closing the cover the driving member is properly guided into engagement with the bore in the axle by said cam surface, and means for so supporting the drivin connection while the cover is open that it wi engage the said cam when the cover is moved toward closedposition.

2. In combination a rotatable axle, a journal box supporting the same, a cover for the journal box, an odometer and operating means therefor carried by the cover, a driving connection between the operating means and the axle having a part noncircular in cross section, a co-operatin part having a noncircular o 'ening in w ich said first part fits and is shdable longitudinall of the axle while maintainin a constant d i'iving connection between sai parts, and a cam surface leading to said opening for engaging said first part when the cover is closed to guide the same into said opening.

3. Incombina'tion a rotatable axle having a noncircular axle therein, a journal box support-in the axle, a cover for the journal box, an o ometer carried by the cover, driving connections between the axle and odometer comprising a member havin a part fittin in t e axle openin and sli able within sai opening while maintaining a constant driving connection between the axlev {and odometer to compensate for relative movement between the journal box and axle during normal driving action, said member being arranged to be withdrawn from the opening .in the axle when the cover is opened and means for automatically guiding said member into the axle opening when the cover is closed.

Signed at Hartford, Connecticut, this 16th day of January, 1929.

RICHARD H. JAMES.

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